Physical Attraction

I think that attraction has a lot to do with what you are used to or comfortable with. Beauty and attraction are relative. For instance, I have many friends who are coupled with people who share similar physical features.

Case in point: Two friends of mine who are married; she is 5'10, he is 6'2. They both have long torsos, long legs, are athletic and lean. Both have larger noses, close-set eyes, and large and beautiful smiles. It seems to me that they find comfort in looking at a face that is slightly familiar to their own. Alternatively, if you look at their differences, she has dark hair, skin and eyes and he has light hair, skin and eyes, they may be different enough to still be attractive to each other.

There are definitely cases where matching someone physically isn't important, but I think there is something to be said with what fits and compliments our body type and comfort level.

Next time you're walking along the street, look at the couples and find their similarities. I'm always amazed.

And yes, I have to be physically attracted to someone and they have to be physically attracted to me. And the attraction has to be on a similar level or else it won't work, at least not for me. They have to be smart too.

Physical attraction is very important in dating. However, I've found that if I am in love with someone's personality, I become attracted to their physical characteristics. Inner beauty is a strong and direct influence on my perception of outer beauty. :)

It absolutely plays a role and has a valid place in dating. I have to, on some level, be drawn to the physical aspects of a person in order to date them. I don't have to consider them good-looking, but I need at least some level of intrigue. We all know that people can become "better looking" if you like them, so to a point, physical attraction can grow, but I think it needs some initial seed to grow from.

I agree with those (most?) saying "at least a little". There's gotta be Something attractive about the person's physical attributes or physical presence as a whole. And this is totally a matter of personal taste.

The short answer is ... no. :)

First of all, I am sexually attracted to the stereotypical supermodel-type female. Here's a representative sample.
http://www.estellawarrenphotos.com/p...aWarren-12.jpg
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/pr/subs/s..._jmaran_07.jpg

However, I'm not usually interested in dating these types of people. I feel...uncomfortable around them. :D

There's a completely different cluster of physical appearance features, some of them the exact opposite of above, which cause me to think that a person is warm, sensitive, and approachable. (Which are the qualities I seek in a romantic partner.) It is a certain type of physical attraction, because I have a strong urge to hug, cuddle, kiss, and commune with them intimately/sensually/non-sexually. But it's emotional for the most part.

Example: I've dated a girl who I met online and got to know for 3 months before ever seeing what she looked like. When I met her in person, I wasn't really physically attracted to her at all. She didn't meet any of my (culturally constructed) standards of physical beauty. But it didn't really matter, because I knew she was an amazing person. Over time, I did start to become physically attracted to her...just because it was her.

I do infer personality from physical appearance, and I do make mistakes in this. But if I'm attracted to someone's spiritual/emotional self, then I don't care what they look like.

I'd like to think that if my girlfriend's head turned into a cantaloupe that I'd manage to maintain my warm feelings for her, even if I was less interested in cuddling. Because I mean, someday she is going to get ugly...

I love you, Selene. I wish more people were like you, and I hope your girlfriend appreciates how special you are. My boyfriend is also non-superficial, and the rarity of such men makes me all the more grateful for him. It is nice knowing that he wouldn't reject me for getting old and wrinkly, and would still find me just as attractive if I were disfigured in an accident. In order to feel secure in a relationship, non-superficiality is just as important to me as other necessary qualities like loyalty and honesty, and it bothers me a lot that others don't place similar value on it. In fact, I think the failure to recognize its value is my number one pet peeve, above other forms of more recognizable cruelty, and makes me angrier than almost any other topic. This is because of the negative effect superficiality has on relationships. It is a direct, but subtle, attack on authentic love, which forms the ultimate core of my internal value hierarchy.
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I've had a bit of an issue with this.

While I'm totally willing to date them if I'm not particularly sexually attracted to them (if they're ugly ugly, then no, but most people aren't ugly ugly), I can't take the relationship to the next level if I'm not attracted to them.

They don't have to be "attractive", I just have to be attracted to them. Being pretty helps though...

But it's with some of Ungweliante's worries I'd step into a relationship with someone I wasn't attracted to.

This goes for both the physical or emotional aspect. I wouldn't pursue someone I didn't find myself pulled in both ways, but I wouldn't turn them down because of either (and possibly both).

Most people I encounter are faceless. I'm not a very visually orientated person. I have trouble differentiating people except by very distinct features (ie, the red headed one, the tall guy etc) until I get to know them. I also find that my perspective of how I feel about them is reflected in how they look to me.

It's not often that I become physically attracted to a person first. At most, it's a superficial aesthetic observation unrelated to wanting to date them. Those that I like enough to want to date, become physically attractive to me.

I don't remember calling or thinking of anyone as ugly. I do however percieve some people as lazy. If my partner appreciares and cares about me, he will groom himself for me so we can fest our eyes on each other.

But seriously i don't have high standards except with smell. Coz i find the smell of some people rather intrusive.

my initial attraction is to much deeper things than looks, but the attitude that people take with their looks is part of their character. Once i'm smitten, he becomes totally the ultimate eye candy xD
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Physical attraction is nice, but not a total necessity. I can deal with a few extra pounds, but looking like a beached elephant seal is a no-go.